dmims Chapter 159 The Situation of the Forbidden Forest
Chapter 159 The Situation of the Forbidden Forest
Chapter 159 The Situation of the Forbidden Forest
Two days later at the Eagle's Nest, although the gift Professor Castor had mentioned had not yet arrived, the atmosphere was already quite lively.
"That was awesome! Karen, did you see what I just did?" Wesley waved his wand excitedly, his hair bouncing with the movement. They had just finished a high-intensity sparring session, simulating an attack by three "attackers" in a narrow corridor. Wesley had used his explosive power to forcefully "knock down" two targets, although he himself had taken several simulated spells. "I feel like I could take on ten eight-legged guys right now!"
Fabian leaned against the wall to catch his breath, adjusted his slightly slipped glasses, and smiled. "Your charge was certainly fierce, Wesley. But Karen is right, next time don't expose your whole back. If Ernesto hadn't shielded you from that 'back' thing, you would have been 'dead'." He looked at Ernesto, who was elegantly tidying her slightly messy curls with her wand, and simply nodded reservedly.
Ernesto chimed in, "The coordination was much better than last time. Wesley's charge disrupted their formation, and Fabian's shield gave us room to adjust." He looked at Karen with his grey eyes. "Karen, what do you think? I feel we've made considerable progress lately."
Karen put away his wand, his eyes sweeping over his three roommates. Sweat soaked their brows, but their eyes shone brightly, filled with the confidence and anticipation honed through real combat. He nodded, his tone affirmative: "They've indeed improved a lot. Their reaction speed, spell accuracy, and on-the-spot judgment are all much better than a month ago. Wesley's explosive power is used more effectively, Fabian's shield release timing is perfect, and Ernesto's battlefield observation and support are excellent. The basic framework of teamwork is also emerging."
With Karen's approval, the three of them perked up even more. Wesley immediately stood up: "Shouldn't we find a place to test our skills for real? It's so boring to keep hitting these defenseless textbooks and dummies here!" He looked at Karen with shining eyes, "How about the Forbidden Forest? Didn't we already familiarize ourselves with the outer areas last semester? We're much better than before! And I've even practiced the Dance Steps Charm and Spider Repelling Charm that I learned before, although I can't cast them silently yet..."
However, the casting speed and power are definitely much better than before!
"Yes, the Forbidden Forest!" Fabian exclaimed, intrigued. "Could we go back to that area with the moonshine moss? Or perhaps look for new magical plants? Karen, haven't you been searching for things with special magical properties?"
Ernesto didn't speak, but his eyes revealed his agreement and eagerness for exploration.
Karen hesitated. He remembered that in the original story, Quirrell, or rather Voldemort, hunted unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and drank their blood to prolong his life. This was around the middle to late part of this school year? But when exactly did it begin? Had they secretly tried it before? He had no idea. Although Voldemort was currently weak and parasitizing Quirrell, the unpredictability of dark magic and Quirrell's own strength as an adult wizard were still considerable. Taking his roommates into the Forbidden Forest rashly carried unpredictable risks.
A fleeting, almost imperceptible hesitation crossed his face, and his brow furrowed slightly.
The perceptive Fabian was the first to notice Karen's hesitation. He adjusted his glasses and tentatively asked, "Karen?"
Are you worried about what might be in the Forbidden Forest? You've seemed unusually wary of it since the start of the semester. Even though everyone went there quite a few times last semester.
Wesley and Ernesto also suppressed their excitement and looked at Cullen. Wesley scratched his head in confusion: "What's there to worry about? We went there several times last semester and everything was fine, wasn't it? Besides, we're both so strong now! As long as we don't go deep into the Forbidden Forest, the four of us can handle those little things on the outskirts more than enough, right?" His tone was full of confidence, but also showed his trust in Cullen's judgment.
Ernesto was more direct: "Karen, if you know of any dangers we don't, speak up. Let's all judge together." His gray eyes stared directly at Karen.
Karen looked at his three roommates' concerned and trusting eyes, quickly weighing his options. He couldn't directly tell them about Voldemort's parasitic possession of Quirrell and his potential hunting of unicorns; it was too horrifying, and he couldn't explain the source of the information. But he also realized that letting his concerns halt the team's exploration was not only unreasonable but would also cause unnecessary worry in the long run. Fabian's words had awakened him; he couldn't continue to speculate timidly; he needed more accurate information.
"I—" Karen began cautiously, "I do have some concerns. Not about any specific known creature, but rather an intuition, or rather, a wariness of unknown changes. In the time between the end of last semester and now, some things in the castle have changed, as I mentioned to you before. I'm not sure if these changes will affect the Forbidden Forest. But your increased strength is a fact, and I trust our team's cooperation."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on Fabian: "Fabian is right, we can't just rely on guesswork."
Instead of worrying here, let's get more accurate information." He made a decision. "Hagrid is the keeper of the Forbidden Forest, and he knows best what's going on in the forest. Let's go find Hagrid and subtly ask him if there's been any unusual activity in the Forbidden Forest lately, or if there are any dangerous areas that students should stay away from."
"Yeah! Ask Hagrid!" Wesley slapped his thigh. "He definitely knows! Let's go, let's go now! Maybe we can even get some food—" His voice trailed off at the end, as if he was recalling some unpleasant memory.
Ernesto nodded in agreement: "It's a very reasonable approach—to gather intelligence before taking action."
Fabian breathed a sigh of relief, pleased that Karen had taken his suggestion: "Shall we go to Hagrid's Hut now?"
"Yes," Karen nodded, "but remember, we'll only mention the time last semester when we went to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid, the rest—" He glanced meaningfully at the three of them.
"Understood!" the three replied in unison. Exploring the forbidden forest without permission was a violation of school rules.
Saturday morning was a gloomy day, with a thin mist shrouding the castle grounds. Karen and her three roommates walked through the vegetable garden toward Hagrid's cottage. In the distance, they could see smoke rising from the cottage's chimney, and two people seemed to be standing at the door.
As she approached, Karen recognized the thin, dark-haired boy with round glasses and the tall, red-haired boy beside him.
The freckled boys were Harry and Ron. They seemed to have just arrived and were about to knock on the door.
"Harry? Ron?" Karen greeted first, her tone calm.
Harry and Ron turned around at the sound of the voice. Harry seemed a little surprised to see Cullen and his Ravenclaw roommates, but quickly put on a friendly smile: "Hi, Cullen! You're here to see Hagrid too?"
Ron was visibly taken aback, his eyes flashing with a mixture of curiosity and barely perceptible restraint and inferiority. In his memory,
This top-performing Ravenclaw prodigy, highly regarded by Professor Flitwick and even skilled in alchemy (I heard this from George Fred), always seemed to be a loner, exuding a somewhat aloof and unapproachable aura. Unexpectedly, the other person took the initiative to greet him and even called him by name.
"Hmm," Cullen stepped closer, smiled at Harry, her gaze sincere, "First of all, congratulations, Harry. Being selected as the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team must be the youngest record in Hogwarts history! We've all heard about the Nimbus 2000 Professor McGonagall gave you." Her tone carried just the right amount of envy and admiration. "Honestly, that's amazing. I was notoriously clumsy in flying class; I was just grateful if my broom obeyed me and didn't throw me off." He shrugged self-deprecatingly.
Harry's face flushed slightly, a little embarrassed, but he was pleased by Cullen's sincere congratulations: "Thank you, Cullen! Actually—I didn't expect that my luck would get better and better since I came to Hogwarts." He scratched his messy black hair.
Karen then turned to Ron, who was still somewhat dazed, and said in the same natural and friendly tone, "Ron, Fred and George told me before that you're really good at wizard chess? They said even Percy has a hard time beating you? When they wrote to me in the summer, they also mentioned that their youngest brother is starting school this year."
"Ah? Oh! Yes, yes!" Ron was immediately smug when asked, his back straightening up a bit, the slight restraint on his face instantly replaced by excitement. "Fred and George said that? Hehe, actually it's not bad! I've only beaten Percy a few times." He spoke modestly, but his expression completely betrayed him. He never expected Karen to know this, and even bring it up herself. The image of that "aloof genius" in his memory suddenly became much blurrier, and she actually seemed quite approachable?
"That's impressive," Karen said with a smile. "I'm not very good at chess. I'd love to see it sometime." He naturally blended into the conversation.
Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto stood behind Cullen, exchanging subtle glances at their roommate's sudden, almost "socially adept" display. Wesley even secretly mouthed to Fabian, "Did Cullen take the wrong medicine today?" only to be gently nudged by Fabian with his elbow.
In fact, Karen isn't usually cold to strangers. The reason her conversation with Hermione felt a bit cold last time was mainly because Karen was doing some research when Hermione interrupted her. Knowing Hermione's personality well, and worried about further entanglement, he used rather cold words to reject Hermione's desire to continue the discussion.
Just then, the door to Hagrid's hut creaked open. The enormous body of the half-giant almost filled the doorway. He was wearing his signature furry rat-skin apron and holding a thick-looking, slightly burnt bread in his hand.
"Oh! Harry! Ron! You're here! And—" Hagrid's booming voice rang out, his dark brown eyes lighting up with delight as he saw Cullen and the others. "Cullen! Wesley! Fabian! Ernesto! Merlin's Beard! What a wonderful day it is that you've all gathered here? Come in, come in! I just baked a batch of rock cakes!" he greeted them warmly.
Step aside to make way.
The cabin was a bit cramped for seven people, especially with Hagrid, such a large creature, but it was filled with warmth. The fire was blazing, the large copper kettle hissed on the stove, and Toothpick excitedly darted in and out among them, chirping merrily. Various oddly shaped bags and tools were piled in the corner, along with the pink umbrella. The air was thick with the smells of smoke, dog, and... the hard, dry, caramelized aroma of freshly baked rock cakes.
Harry and Ron found a place to sit, familiar with the place. Cullen and her three friends also sat down after Hagrid enthusiastically patted them on the shoulder. Hagrid placed a large plate of golden-brown rock cakes in the center of the table and said generously, "Don't be shy! Try them all! They're best when they're fresh out of the oven!"
Looking at the hard, shield-like cake, Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto all turned pale. Cullen instantly felt a familiar pang of toothache and stomach pain. Harry and Ron also seemed shaken, their movements hesitant.
"Hagrid," Karen quickly seized the opportunity, speaking before the half-giant could enthusiastically promote his rock-skin cakes again, his tone filled with longing for adventure, "We came to find you, actually, to ask about the Forbidden Forest." He skillfully steered the conversation, "Last semester, when we went to the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest with you, we saw Bowtruckles and Grass Insects, it was truly amazing! Wesley and the others have been talking about it ever since, always wondering when they could go back to see if there were any new magical creatures or plants. We promise we'll only stay on the outermost edge, absolutely not going any deeper!" he emphasized.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Wesley immediately chimed in, trying to look away from the rock crust. "Hagrid, how's the Forbidden Forest lately? Any new discoveries? Or any places we need to be particularly careful to avoid?" He asked rather cryptically.
Fabian adjusted his glasses and added, "We're very law-abiding, Hagrid. It's just that lately there's been a strange feeling in the castle. We were wondering, with the Forbidden Forest being so vast, could things be different there too?"
Ernesto, true to form, asked directly, "Hagrid, have any unusual events occurred in the Forbidden Forest recently? Or are there any areas you feel are unsafe and that students should stay away from?"
Harry and Ron listened intently, their eyes lighting up. Ron whispered to Harry, "They went to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid?"
"Cool!" Harry exclaimed, his voice filled with envy, and he nodded vigorously.
Hagrid was picking up a rock crust biscuit, ready to enthusiastically recommend it, when he heard Cullen and the others' question and his attention was immediately drawn to it. He put down the biscuit (Wesley and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief), stroked his beard with his huge hand, glanced at the four Ravenclaw boys, and then looked at Harry and Ron, who were standing next to him with envious expressions.
"Forbidden Forest"
Hagrid said gruffly, a hint of pride in his thriving garden evident on his face, "It's always full of life! The little guys are either getting ready to hibernate or busy storing food. As always, vibrant and full of life!"
He took a large gulp of strong tea and continued, "If I had to say something special—" He frowned his thick eyebrows as if trying to recall, "Well, Aragog is quite well-behaved. I haven't heard of his offspring causing trouble. The unicorn herd's range is about the same as in previous years. I even saw some hoofprints they left in the oak forest area a few days ago. They were absolutely beautiful."
Upon hearing the word "unicorn," Karen's heart skipped a beat, but when Hagrid said, "The range of activity is normal," and "Footprints have been left,"
This indicated that there had been no recent hunting incidents, which eased his tension slightly.
"However—" Hagrid lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery, "those centaurs have been acting a bit strange lately."
"Centaur?" Harry asked curiously.
“Yeah, Ronan, Bane, and the others,” Hagrid nodded, “they’re always in the woods, looking up at the stars, muttering things like, ‘Mars is unusually bright,’ ‘Darkness is crawling in the shadows,’ ‘Pure blood will be tested,’ and all sorts of prophecies. You know, they always do this, all mysterious.” Hagrid shrugged his broad shoulders, clearly not too impressed by these astrological predictions. “When I asked them what they meant, they just looked at me with that condescending gaze.”
They say things like, "The wheel of fate has turned, and the giants cannot understand the whispers of the stars." Ah, really!
Hagrid complained, then looked at Karen and the others, his tone returning to its cheerful tone: "So, kids, don't worry!"
The area outside the Forbidden Forest is perfectly safe! Aragok and his men won't just come out anywhere!
"Hagrid, what is Aragog?" Harry asked curiously.
"I know that, Harry. Aragog is a huge eight-eyed spider, probably bigger than a car. Its offspring are everywhere in the Forbidden Forest. Last time we went there with Hagrid, we almost got attacked by them." Wesley answered Harry's question enthusiastically.
"Ron, why is your face so pale?" Hagrid noticed Ron's face suddenly turn deathly pale.
"Nothing, nothing, Hagrid." Ron forced a smile, his voice trembling slightly. "It's just that I'm a little afraid of spiders." His fear of spiders was ingrained in his bones.
Hagrid laughed heartily, patting Ron on the shoulder so hard he almost shoved him under the table. "Don't be afraid, Ron! Last time Karen and the others came with me, it was only in a very remote area, far from Aragog's lair! Those little guys just wanted to get closer to Karen and the others, right, Karen?" Hagrid looked at Karen, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, Hagrid." Cullen nodded immediately, echoing Hagrid's words, but at the same time gave Harry a wink, indicating that they meant the opposite.
Hagrid nodded in satisfaction. "So! If you want to go for a stroll around the outskirts and see the plants and animals, feel free to come find me anytime! I'll take you when I have time!" He invited warmly, then, as if remembering something, his large hand reached for the plate of rock-skin cakes again. "Come on, don't just talk, try my rock-skin cakes! I guarantee they'll give you a burst of energy!"
As Hagrid's massive, fan-like hands grabbed several incredibly hard pieces of bread and handed them to him, Karen felt a sudden ache in his teeth. He acted swiftly, jumping to his feet so quickly that everyone around him was momentarily stunned.
"Hagrid! Thank you so much for the information!" Karen spoke quickly, her face showing just the right amount of apology and a sudden realization, "We suddenly remembered that Professor Flitwick assigned a paper on the advanced application of silent spells, which had to be submitted to his office before lunch today! We almost forgot! We must rush back now to finish the last part!"
As he spoke, he gestured to his three roommates with his eyes. Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto reacted quickly, immediately springing to their feet as if sprang from a spring.
"Ah! Right! The thesis!"
"Oh my god, I almost forgot!"
"Professor Flitwick will be angry!"
The three worked together seamlessly, their faces etched with anxiety.
Cullen turned to Harry and Ron, who were still somewhat bewildered, with an encouraging smile: "Harry, Ron, take your time eating. Hagrid's rock cakes are a Hogwarts specialty, don't miss them!" Then she said to Harry, "By the way, Harry, good luck in your first Quidditch match against Slytherin next month! I believe in you and your Nimbus 2000! Teach those arrogant guys a lesson! Ravenclaw has been looking down on Slytherin for a long time too, we all support Gryffindor!"
After saying that, without waiting for Hagrid to try to persuade her to stay again, and without giving Harry and Ron a chance to fully react, Cullen quickly left Hagrid's hut with her three roommates.
The door to the hut slammed shut, leaving Hagrid inside with a bewildered expression, and Harry and Ron with their handsome faces.
Hagrid looked at the hard, unyielding biscuit in his hand, then at the closed door, and muttered, somewhat bewildered, "Kids these days... is homework really that important? They don't even have time to taste a biscuit." He shook his head, put the biscuit back on the plate, and enthusiastically pushed it towards Harry and Ron, "Come on, kids, forget about them, let's eat!"
Harry and Ron stared at the rock-skinned flatbread on the plate, which could easily be used as a weapon. Recalling the speed at which Cullen left and her last words about supporting the competition, Ron swallowed hard and whispered to Harry, "Hey Harry—don't you think—Cullen isn't as 'aloof' as the rumors say? And he seems particularly afraid of Hagrid's flatbread?" He looked at the rock-skinned flatbread in front of him, as if he understood something.
Harry picked up a piece of biscuit and tried to cut a slice, but it wouldn't budge. He looked in the direction where Cullen and the others had disappeared, then at the biscuit in his hand, and finally at the enthusiastic Hagrid, giving him a smile that was a little helpless but also a little understanding.
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